No Slowing Down With Age As Westmeath Bowlers Shine At 14th Annual National Bowls Competition

An Active Retirement bowls team from Westmeath were among 68 groups from across Ireland that competed this week in the 14th annual Active Retirement Ireland National Bowls Competition sponsored by Spry Finance, which took place at the Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney, Co. Kerry.

The team from Westmeath represented BunBrosna/Multyfarnham/Ballinafid ARA.

The Westmeath team joined more than 270 competitors from 14 counties for the tournament which took place over three days.

The competition saw Co Cork team the Super Bowlers take home the Large Bowls Cup, and Tullow Blue from Carlow won the Small Bowls Cup.

The teams were presented with their trophies by Active Retirement Ireland National President Mai Quaid and CEO Fran Brennan at a special award presentation last night (05.11.2025) to close the competition. Finalists from counties Carlow, Dublin, Galway, Kerry and Kilkenny were also presented with awards.

Speaking at the awards presentation, Mai Quaid, National President of Active Retirement Ireland, said: “Congratulations to the Westmeath team who took part in this year’s National Bowls Competition, and a special mention to all our winners and finalists across the large and small bowls tournaments. It has been wonderful to see so many members come together from across the country, bringing such enthusiasm, team spirit and a real love of competition to our flagship event.

“This is exactly what Active Retirement Ireland is all about — creating opportunities for people to stay active, build friendships and enjoy a strong sense of community throughout retirement. The energy and camaraderie on display here in Killarney show that retirement is a time to embrace new experiences, stay involved and continue doing the things we love.

“We want more people from Westmeath, particularly those who are newly retired, to experience the benefits of being part of an Active Retirement Association. With more than 500 associations across the country, there are welcoming communities and opportunities to get involved right on people's doorsteps.

“A special thank you to Spry Finance for their generous support of this year's National Bowls Competition, and to the Gleneagle Hotel and its staff for their continued support in making this event such a success.”

There are more than 500 local Active Retirement Associations (ARAs) in local communities across Ireland, including in Co Westmeath. These are groups of older people who come together to organise social events and activities to reinforce social connectedness and reduce loneliness, supported by the national body Active Retirement Ireland, Ireland’s largest membership organisation for older people in the country. For more information about Active Retirement Ireland and to find your local group in Co Westmeath, see www.active.irl.ie